On that note – WHEN you sleep matters as much as how much you sleep, and this isn’t good news for night owls. Studies show that the hours before midnight are more important for giving the body rest – so it’s better to go to bed at 10 p.m. and rise at six a.m. than to stay up until two a.m. and wake up at 10 a.m.

Manage Stress. Easier said than done, right? Just as with sleep deprivation, chronic stress caused by a crazy schedule, family or relationship tension, or financial woes causes adrenal glands to pump out cortisol and another stress hormone, epinephrine. These hormones were tremendously helpful in getting early man away from dangerous situations, but early man didn’t have to worry about a frustrating job, college prep, extracurricular demands or mortgage payments. Even if you can’t eliminate the causes of the stress in your life, you can take steps to manage your body’s response.

Yoga and meditation have been shown to do wonders for the body’s immune system, and music therapy or traditional therapy can both be useful in helping to cope with or recover from the daily stresses of life. If you find yourself feeling regularly stressed out and run down, consider that not only are you putting yourself at risk for illness, but you’re also increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and heart attacks. Chronic release of these stress hormones causes stenosis of the blood vessels and can contribute to wear and tear on the heart muscle.

Say yes to garlic breath. Garlic has well-known antimicrobial and immune-boosting qualities, and it has been used for centuries for these reasons. Studies have shown that garlic intake can boost the body’s T-cell production – a type of white blood cell that helps fight infections and pathogens, including influenza and the common cold.

So this winter, double down on the garlic, whether you take a supplement or load up your foods. And for maximum impact, minimize the exposure garlic has to heat, adding it to foods just before serving, rather than adding it at the beginning of the cooking process. Remember, heat deactivates one of the key components that gives garlic its healing properties.